Apparatus for casting closed-bottom ingot molds



4 June 12, 1928.

J. E. PERRY APPARATUS FOR CASTING CLOSED BOTTOM INGOT MOLDS Original Filed May 27, 1925 INVENTOR Jafiiz Z. li r/"y Aw, ATTORNEY Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. PERRY, OF SHARON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO VALLEY MOULD 82; IRON CORPORATION, OF SHARPSVILLE. PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING CLOSED-BOTTOM INGOT MOLDS.

Original application filed May 27, 1925, Serial No. 33,126. Divided and this application filed October 14,

The present invention relates broadly to metallurgy and more especially to a method and apparatus for manufacturing closed bottorn ingot molds.

Heretofore inthe art of casting closed bottom ingot molds, it has been customary to cast these molds in a flask with the closed end of the ingot mold at the top of the flask, and this left a very uneven surface on that part which subsequently became the bottom of the mold. It was therefore necessary to cast the ingot mold considerably longer than the length desired for the finished ingot mold and then cut away the kish and spongy metal by machining the casting to provide a smooth bottom for the mold to set upon a suitable stool.

The present method and apparatus overcomes the difliculties of the known art without adding any undesirable features and produces a closed bottom ingot mold in which the necessity for machining and also the use of extra metal heretofore needed, are both eliminated.

The objects and desiderata of the present invention will in part. be obvious and will in part be pointed out hereinafter in the specitication following by reference to the accompanying drawings throughout which like characters are used to represent like parts.

Realizing that the present invention may be carried out by methods and apparatus specifically different than those disclosed, it is desired, therefore, that the present d1sclosure shall be considered as illustrative, and not in the limiting sense.

Fig. 1 is a sectional View of one form of flask, etc., for carrying out the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the constructions disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. is a plan view of one of the chill top 1 plates according to the disclosure in F ig. l; c

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of one of the top plates as disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of an ingot made in accordance with the present. invention. and set up ready for casting:

Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form of one top plate of a pair for forming a chilled area entirely around the bottom of the mold:

Fig. 7 is :1 plan view of a pair of plates of Serial No. 62,332.

the type illustrated in Fig. 6 shown clamped in position on top of a suitable flask.

In carrying out the present method a suitable casting bottom 1 supports a separable flask 2 which carries a sand matrix 4 that has been formed by ramming sand in the flask around a suitable pattern shaped to conform to the exterior of the ingot mold to be cast. A suitable. core 5 is properly mounted upon the casting bottom 1 in such manner as to form the mold cavity in the ingot mold when the ingot mold is cast. This core carries a suitable extension 6 which provides the opening in the bottom of theingot mold that may be used for stripping purposes W-hen the ingot mold is in use.

Chill plates 7 are positioned on the upper flanges of the flask by means of centering dowels 8 and are held in position by C- clamps 9. These chill plates terminate in beveled straight edges 10 which extend transversely across the top of the flask in parallel relation and on opposite sides of the center of the setup. A suit-able gate ll is provided in such manner that the flask may be bottom poured to cause the kish ctc., to rise to the top of the flask during the pouring operation. Suitable handling staples 1: are set in the flask so that when the ingot mold is cast these staples are properly cast into the side walls to facilitate the handling of the ingot mold when in use.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7. the chill plates are constructed in complement-M pairs 26 and 27, which are provided with inwardly extending portions 28 so constructed as to form finished surfaces around the entire bottom of the ingot mold. This type of construction produces a mold which has the advantage of centering surfaces extending entirely around the bottom of the mold so that when the mold is set up in a suitably recessed stool, it is automatically centered in two directions, whereas a mold produced by the structuresillustrated in Figures 1. 2 and 2-3 is centered in only one direction. There is also the further advantage obtained by having chilled mctgl surrounding the entire lower outer edge of the bottom. adjacent to the lower part of the ingot mold baring the curved matrix portion.

Furthermore, in the form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 6 and T. the complemeutal plates 26 and 27 form a continuous metal surface through which the molten metal rises so that the workmen are enabled to rake the Irish 011' without danger or possibility of breaking the sand walls carried by the iiask. This not only insures a well shaped casting, but prevents the metal being fouled by loose sand being raked from the side walls into the molten metal. There is also another and important advantage to this type of construction in that the flasks, if desired, may be rammed in inverted position, that is, with the plates 26 and 27 performing the function as bottom supports for the sand wall of the flask during the ramming operation. Since these plates are securely locked in position, they also form supports for the bottom sand wall of the flask, while the flask is being blacked and baked. Prior to the baking operation, the sand wall is quite friable, in that the adherence of the sand particles one to another at that time is not nearly as great as is the adherence after the baking operation. This construction, therefore, preserves the sand wall not only prior to casting operation, but also during the actual casting of the mold.

When the set-up in accordance with the present invention is poured by introducing molten metal through the gate 11, the metal rises in the sand matrix and completely fills the casting space between the core and the sand face in such manner as to form with the mold desired. The kish, impurities, and spongy metal, rise to the top of the set-up so that when the mold is filled, this undesirable material may be scraped off the top of the set-up by a suitable scraper moved over the open space comprising the open upper end provided by the space between or in the chill plates, as the case may be.

By this construction, it will be observed that large mold gas vents are provided by the open upper end of the mold so that the ases developed during castings, as well as t 1e impurities which rise upon the top of the molten metal during the casting operation may freely escape. This is particularly important in that it prevents the trapping of any of this gas or deleterious material beneath the chill plates which form the finished bottom on the cast ingot mold.

The result of this casting operation is to produce an ingot mold having the mouth 14 thereof with a chilled finish due to the contact of the metal with the chilled casting bottom 1 of the set-up. The ingot mold cast with the parallel chilled plates as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 will have two parallel surfaces 15 and 16 on the bottom, whereas the mold cast with the chill plates shown in Figures 6 and 7 will have a continuous chilled surface surrounding the central portion 20 of the bottom of the mold. The surfaces which are finished by the chill plates are adapted to set upon suitable surfaces 17 and 18 of a recessed ingot mold base 23 in which the recess 19 is considerably deeper than the depending portion 20 on the bottom of the ingot mold so that even though this bottom 20 is of rough spongy metal, it is out of contact with any supporting surface and does not therefore interpose any difficulty in setting up the mold. The base 23 is also provided with an opening 21 which is larger than the mold plug 24 so as to allow space for the plug when the mold is in use. This plug is ordinarily used in the set-up of molds of this kind to facilitate the stripping of ingots from the ingot mold, etc. and it is also customary in the set-up of molds of this kind to provide a hot top 25 which is used during the casting of ingots in the mold.

The foregoing method produces a povel ingot: mold having finished supporting surfaces on the bottom thereof which are produced during a casting o eration, thereby eliminating expensive maciiining which has heretofore been necessary to obtain this result. Furthermore, these molds having chilled surfaces on the bottom are better adapted to stand rough usage and wear so that the final result is a better mold at a lower cost.

This application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 33,126, filed May 27, 1925, and in which application the mold per se as an article of manufacture is claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. An apparatus for casting closed bottom ingot molds, which apparatus comprises a flask having a suitable matrix, a core mounted in said matrix whereb said matrix and said core are adapted to orm the side walls of a suitable ingot mold when cast, in combina ion with chill members carried by said flask and adapted to form parallel finished surfaces upon said ingot mold when said ingot mold is cast, means to accurately position said members on said flask, and devices to hold the members upon said flask.

2. An apparatus for casting closed bottom ingot molds, which apparatus comprises a flask having a suitable matrix, a core mounted in said matrix whereby said matrix and said core are adapted to form the side walls of a suitable ingot mold when cast, in combination with removable chill members carried by said flask and adapted to cover a circumferential portion of the matrix to form finished supporting surfaces upon the bottom of.said ingot mold when said ingot mold is cast.

3. An apparatus for casting an ingot mold, which apparatus comprises a flask having a suitable matrix formed therein and a core adapted to form the side walls of the Ill ingot mold to be casted, in combination with a chill member carried by the flask and ada ted to form a supporting surface on the ottom of the in t mold when casted;

4. An apparatus or castin an ingot mold, which apparatus comprises a flask l having a suitable matrix formed therein and casting bottom for supporting the said flask and core, and chill members secured to the top of the flask to form chilled surfaces on the end of the ingot mold which is casted uppermost.

6. An apparatus for casting ingot molds comprising a flask carrying a sand wall, a

core within the flask, a casting bottom for supportin the said flask and core, and wide chill mem ers secured to the top of the flask, said chilled members being sufliciently wide to extend over the adjacent portion of the said wall to support the sand within the flask and to form chilled surfaces on the end of the ingot mold which is casted uppermost, said chill members being constructed to leave a gas outlet for mold gases during the casting of the ingot mold.

, JOHN E. PERRY. 

